EX-99.1 2 e27133ex99_1.htm PRESS RELEASE

Exhibit 99.1

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

CIT DECIDES NOT TO EARLY ADOPT FAIR VALUE ACCOUNTING STANDARD

First Quarter EPS of $1.01 Versus $1.37 Previously
EPS of $1.30 Excluding Noteworthy Items is Unchanged
Stockholders’ Equity Slightly Higher
Cash Flow Unaffected

        NEW YORK — April 30, 2007 — CIT Group Inc. (NYSE: CIT), a leading global provider of commercial and consumer finance solutions, announced today that it has decided not to early adopt Statement of Accounting Standard No. 159 “The Fair Value Option for Financial Assets and Liabilities” (“SFAS 159”).

Reevaluation of SFAS 159 Early Adoption

        In its April 18, 2007 earnings release, CIT presented financial information reflecting an early adoption of FAS 159, on a basis believed to be an appropriate interpretation of the standard at that time. Following the earnings release, guidance regarding SFAS 159 has emerged, including guidance recently issued by the AICPA’s Center for Audit Quality, prompting the Company to reevaluate its initial intent to early adopt SFAS 159 for selected debt and capital securities.

        In performing the reevaluation, CIT recognized that a substantial portion of the liabilities initially elected for fair value accounting under SFAS 159 were subsequently paid off and that it did not apply fair value accounting to any replacement liabilities. CIT determined that applying the fair value accounting option to replacement liabilities could introduce continuing volatility into its earnings and decided not to early adopt SFAS 159.


 
   

Impact to Previously Issued Financial Information

        This decision does not impact the strong operating earnings and cash flows of the Company’s businesses, nor does it affect the prospective interest expense benefit relating to the recent refinancing of the settled securities at lower rates. The extinguishments and refinancing of the debt and capital securities replaced the Company’s highest cost debt with lower cost funding and strengthened the Company’s capital position.

        Net income is lower than previously announced because the charge for the early payment of the high coupon debt and capital securities is reflected in earnings as a separate line under the caption “Loss on early extinguishments of debt”, rather than as a direct reduction of retained earnings. Stockholders’ equity is slightly higher.

        The impact of the Company’s decision on selected key financial measurements as of, or for the quarter ended, March 31, 2007 is summarized in the table below. Refer to the exhibits to this press release for the entire consolidated statement of income and balance sheet.

(Dollars in millions, except per share data)

Previously
Announced

Adjusted
Change
Net income available to common shareholders   $         271.4   $         200.6   $    (70.8 )
Net income excluding noteworthy items   $         257.8   $         257.8   $        —  
Diluted earnings per share   $           1.37   $           1.01   $    (0.36 )
Diluted earnings per share excluding noteworthy items   $           1.30   $           1.30   $        —  
Total stockholders’ equity   $      7,413.4   $      7,427.9   $     14.5  
Return on average common equity   15.6 % 11.5 %
Return on average common equity excluding noteworthy items   14.8 % 14.8 %


 
   

Conference Call and Webcast

        CIT Vice Chairman and Chief Financial Officer Joseph M. Leone and CIT Executive Vice President and Controller William J. Taylor will discuss this reevaluation and the changes to previously issued financial information on a conference call and audio webcast today at 2:00 pm (ET). Interested parties may access the conference call live today by dialing 800-599-9795 for U.S. and Canadian callers or 617-786-2905 for international callers, and reference access code “CIT Group” or access the audio webcast at the following website: http://ir.cit.com. An audio replay of the call will be available beginning shortly after the conclusion of the call until 11:59 pm (ET) May 7, 2007, by dialing 888-286-8010 for U.S. and Canadian callers or 617-801-6888 for international callers with the access code 74196261, or at the following website: http://ir.cit.com.

About CIT

        CIT Group Inc. (NYSE: CIT), a leading commercial and consumer finance company, provides clients with financing and leasing products and advisory services. Founded in 1908, CIT has approximately $80 billion in managed assets and possesses the financial resources, industry expertise and product knowledge to serve the needs of clients across approximately 30 industries worldwide. CIT, a Fortune 500 company and a member of the S&P 500 Index, holds leading positions in cash flow lending, vendor financing, factoring, equipment and transportation financing, Small Business Administration loans, and asset-based lending. With its global headquarters in New York City, CIT has approximately 7,500 employees in locations throughout North America, Europe, Latin America, and Asia Pacific. www.cit.com


 
   

###

Contact:            
Investor Relations    Steven Klimas    Vice President    (973) 535-3769
             
Media Relations C. Curtis Ritter Director of External
Communications and
Media Relations
(212) 461-7711
curt.ritter@cit.com
   


Consolidated Statements of Income (Unaudited)

Quarters Ended March 31, (dollars in millions — except per share data)


 

 

2007


 

2006


 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Finance revenue

 

$ 1,617.1

 

$ 1,294.6

 

Interest expense

 

873.6

 

598.3

 

Depreciation on operating lease equipment

 

263.6

 

249.4

 
   
 
 

Net finance revenue

 

479.9

 

446.9

 

Provision for credit losses

 

71.1

 

33.3

 
   
 
 

Net finance revenue, after credit provision

 

408.8

 

413.6

 

Other revenue

 

328.6

 

260.1

 
   
 
 

Total net revenue, after credit provision

 

737.4

 

673.7

 

Salaries and general operating expenses

 

355.8

 

323.1

 

Provision for restructuring

 

 

11.1

 

Loss on early extinguishments of debt

 

139.3

 

 
   
 
 

Income before provision for income taxes

 

242.3

 

339.5

 

Provision for income taxes

 

(34.1

(101.3

)

Minority interest, after tax

 

(0.1

(0.8

)
   
 
 

Net income before preferred stock dividends

 

208.1

 

237.4

 

Preferred stock dividends

 

(7.5

(7.7

)
   
 
 

Net income available to common stockholders

 

$ 200.6

 

$ 229.7

 
   
 
 

Per common share data

 

 

 

 

 

Basic earnings per share

 

$ 1.03

 

$ 1.15

 

Diluted earnings per share

 

$ 1.01

 

$ 1.12

 

Number of shares - basic (thousands)

 

194,099

 

199,462

 

Number of shares - diluted (thousands)

 

197,922

 

204,455

 

Dividends per common share

 

$ 0.25

 

$ 0.20

 

 

   


CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS (Unaudited) — Assets (dollars in millions — except share data)


  March 31,
2007

  December 31,
2006

 

Financing and leasing assets:

 

 

 

 

   

Finance receivables, including receivables pledged of $4,238.4 and $4,311.6

$ 60,126.5

 

$ 55,064.9

 

 

Reserve for credit losses

(704.0

)

(659.3

)
 
 
 

 

Net finance receivables

59,422.5

 

54,405.6

 

 

Operating lease equipment, net

11,294.4

 

11,017.9

 

 

Financing and leasing assets held for sale

1,954.9

 

1,793.7

 

Cash and cash equivalents, including $144.2 and $179.0 restricted

3,464.4

 

4,458.4

 

Retained interest in securitizations and other investments

1,231.5

 

1,059.4

 

Goodwill and intangible assets, net

1,252.4

 

1,008.4

 

Other assets

3,439.6

 

3,324.5

 
 
 
 

Total Assets

$ 82,059.7

 

$ 77,067.9

 
 
 
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS (Unaudited) — Liabilities and Stockholders’ Equity


Debt:

 

 

 

 

 

Commercial paper

$ 5,261.4

 

$ 5,365.0

 

 

Deposits

2,908.8

 

2,399.6

 

 

Non-recourse, secured borrowings

4,333.8

 

4,398.5

 

 

Variable-rate senior unsecured notes

23,009.4

 

19,184.3

 

 

Fixed-rate senior unsecured notes

29,912.6

 

29,107.1

 

 

Junior subordinated notes

750.0

 

 

 

Preferred capital securities

250.3

 

250.3

 
 
 
 

Total debt

66,426.3

 

60,704.8

 

Credit balances of factoring clients

3,769.9

 

4,131.3

 

Accrued liabilities and payables

4,396.0

 

4,440.8

 
 
 
 

 

Total Liabilities

74,592.2

 

69,276.9

 

Commitments and Contingencies

 

 

 

 

Minority interest

39.6

 

39.9

 

Stockholders’ Equity:

 

 

 

 

 

Preferred stock: $0.01 par value, 100,000,000 authorized,

 

 

 

 

 

Issued and outstanding:

 

 

 

 

 

  Series A 14,000,000 with a liquidation preference of $25 per share

350.0

 

350.0  

 

  Series B 1,500,000 with a liquidation preference of $100 per share

150.0

 

150.0  

 

Common stock: $0.01 par value, 600,000,000 authorized,

 

 

 

 

 

  Issued: 214,234,705 and 213,555,940

2.1

 

2.1

 

 

  Outstanding: 191,911,903 and 198,295,376

 

 

 

 

 

Paid-in capital, net of deferred compensation of $104.8 and $68.7

10,633.6

 

10,678.9

 

 

Accumulated deficit

(2,689.6

(2,838.9

)

 

Accumulated other comprehensive income

121.5

 

129.6

 

 

Less: treasury stock, 22,322,802 and 15,260,564 shares, at cost

(1,139.7

)

(720.6

)
 
 
 

Total Common Stockholders’ Equity

6,927.9

 

7,251.1

 
 
 
 

 

Total Stockholders’ Equity

7,427.9

 

7,751.1

 
 
 
 

Total Liabilities and Stockholders’ Equity

$ 82,059.7

 

$ 77,067.9